Automatic cistern-cleaning apparatus.



Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

1 L THIEM.

AUTOMATIC GISTERN CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LLoursTHmm, a citi" zen of the United States, residingat Toledo, in thecounty. of Lucas and State of Ohio, have-invented a newand useful Improve.- meat in Automatic Oistern-Cleaning Apparatus, o f:which the following is a specificainvention relates to an automaticcisterncleaner.

In Patent No. 969,997 I have shown and:

described an automatic cistern. cleaner, whereby the excess flow offresh rain water into a cistern is utilized to discharge through theavaste pipe, impure water and sediment from the'bottom of a cistern.

In the application of my patented cleaner to cisterns of large capacityor having fiat bottoms I have found that a single central receiver forthe discharge pipe, unless the volume of the discharge'is large, isinsufiicient to carry off the sediment deposited on the outer portion ofthe bottom.

' My present invention has for its object to provide an improved cleanerfor cisterns of large capacity, and those having fiat bottoms, wherebythe sediment will be removed from the "outer portions of the bottomsimultaneously with its removal from the center portion. I accomplishthese. objects by the construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in which- Fignre1 is a view, showing my improved cleaner applied to a cistern having aconcave bottom. Fig. 2 is a similar view show ing its application to acistern having a flat bottom. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of areceiver having a ball and socket oint "and adapted to be connected tothe lower end of the main pipe or the elbow of a branch pipe. Fig. 4 isan enlarged detail view of'a modified form of flexiblejoint connecting areceiver to the elbow of a branch pipe, and

Fig.. 5 is a top view of an enlarged broken away portion of anextensible branch discharge pipe with the sleeve broken through. I Inthe drawings 1 designates the main Cl1S- charge pipe, having radiatingfrom its lower end 'portion thebranch connections 2 and having its lowerend portion'provided with Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiles; September 17, 1910.

discha- Z P!" 518, 1911'. Serial HQ 532 43 A L a reducer connection 2-,and also having its upper end portion provided with the dischargeconnection 3 and its open upper end provided with a closure cap 4:. 'Toach branch connection 2 is" connected a branch ge pipe 5 comprising acoupling sleeve 6 adapted lib-telescopically receive at ,one end abranch connection 2, and having a pipe section 7 telescoped in theopposite end,

and an elbow 8 mounted on the outer .endofthe section 7. The dischargeconnection 3 is connected by the section 3 9 of the cistern, cisternwall and downward into the catch basin 10, which is connected by thepipe 11 to a sewer (not shown).

to the waste pipe The main pipe 1 and its discharge connec tion 3 is ofcapacity equal to the combined capacity of the branches? and its lowerend reducer connection 2.

Each branch 2 and the reducer 2 of the main pipe 1 is preferablyprovided with a receiver 12, which (as is more clearly sh own in Fig.3), comprises the cone 13 having its open base rim provided at regularintervals with projecting feet 14;; and having its upper end providedwith a hemispherical cup enlargement 15 having the. annular rim flange16; the section 17, having the end which extends through the portion18of a diameter to telescopically? connect with the free end portion of anelbow 8 or the reducer 2 of the main pipe,

and the hemispherically enlarged portion 19; and the hemisphericalsegment 20 provided with an'annular rim flange 16-adapted to couple thesection 1.7 to the cup 15 and form therewith a ball and socket joint.

Thus constructed, the, main pipe 1 with a receiver 12' connected to itslower end is cistern, after which the branches 5 with receivers 12attached thereto, are then mounted on the connections 2 and adjustedthereon by the sleeves 6 to extend the receivers the desired radialdistance from the main pipe, and with the receivers extended downwardfrom the elbows 8.. If the cistern bottom be flat and level the receiveratthe lower-end of the main pipe is inserted into the-lower endofthemain pipe.the.,full. length of the end portion'18of the sectionfirst inserted into'the top portion of the.

into the section.

17. If it be concave the end portion is inserted a less distanceaccording as the concave surface requires. Thus adjusted and equippedthe main pipe is lowered in the cistern until the receivers rest ontheir feet 14: on the bottom. The receivers 12 being provided with aball and socket joint, it is manifest that when any one or less than thewhole number of feet 14 of a receiver engages the bottom, the weight ofthe main pipe and its branches will automatically adjust'each and all ofthe receivers to rest on all their feet, whether the bottom be concaveor flat, and so resting, they form uniform spaces between the rims ofthe receivers and the bottom, adapted to admit water radially to thereceivers from along the bottom. The instalment of the cleaner in thecistern is completed by connecting the section 8 to the connection 3 andthe waste pipe 9.

To prevent siphonic action of the cleaner, the section 3' is preferablyprovided with an air inlet pipe 21 which extends a sufiicient distanceabove the section to prevent water and sediment from'being dischargedtherefrom. By so placing the air vent and providing the upper end of themain pipe wit-11 a closure cap 4:. the necessity of extending the pipeupward into the neck or opening to the cistern, where it would obstructentrance into the cistern, is avoided, while by removing the cap land'attaching to the top an extension, (not shown), access to the mainpipe for the introduction of a sucker rod having a bucket valve attachedthereto is provided, whereby, if desired in times of insufficient rainfall, the sediment can be mechanically discharged.

While the receivers are preferably provided with a ball and socketjoint, it is manifest that they may be provided with flexible jointsother than a ball and socket, without departure from the principle of myconstruction, and that for flat bottom cisterns the receivers may bemade rigid; and in Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of receiver 12 (thatmay be used instead of receiver 12), having a flexible joint coupling.22 comprising a flexible hose section coupled to acone 13 having agrooved retaining band 23 secured thereto at a suitable distance fromits base to which one end portion of the hose section is secured byan'outer clamp band 24 which is secured around the base and the innerband 23 in a manner to compress the hose into the groove of the innerband. The receiver is coupled to the elbow of a branch by a clamp bandZ-l around the upper end portion of the hose section after the free endof the elbow has been inserted A joint thus constructed is adapted topermit the automatic ad justment of the receiver cone 13 to rest on itsfeet 14 on the bottom of the cistern, in like manner as described forthe ball and socket oint. I therefore do not hnnt myself in theconstruction of my cleaner to the use ofrem-:ivers having a ball andsocket joint.

hat I claim to be new is 1. In an auton'iatic cistern cleaner of thecharacter described, the combination with the waste pipe of a cistern,of a main discharge pipe connected to the waste pipe and extending fromthe waste pipe to near the bottom of the cistern, a plurality ofextensible branch pipes radially connected to the lower portion of themain pipe, and a plurality of receivers, one for each branch pipe andthe main pipe, said receivers having enlarged rim bases provided with aplurality of feet adapted to support-the main pipe and its branchesabove the bottom of the cistern and form openings to admit water andsediment radially to the receivers alongthe bottom.

2. In an automatic cistern cleaner of the character described, thecombination with the waste pipe of a cistern, of a main discharge pipeextending the waste pipe to near the bottom of the cistern and having aplurality of extensible branch pipes radiating from the lower endportion, a plurality of supporting receivers, one for each branch pipeand for'thelower end of the main pipe, each receiver comprising aconical lower section, having its base rim pro vided with a plurality ofprojecting feet and an upper section pivotally coupled to the lowersection and adapted to couple the receiver to a branch or the main pipe,substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic cistern cleaner of the character described, thecombination with the waste pipe of a cistern, connected to and extendinfrom the waste pipe to near the bottom of the cistern, and

comprising a main pipe, a plurality of extensible branch pipes radiatingfrom the main pipe, and a plurality of universally jointed receivers onecoupled to each branc l and the main pipe, each receiver having an openflared base rim provided with a plurality of supporting feet, and saidreceivers together forming a supporting base for the discharge adaptedto individual automatic adjustment to the bottoms of .a cistern,substantially as set forth.

, 4:. In an automatic cistern cleaner of the kind described, thecombination with the waste pipe of a cistern, of a main discharge pipeextending centrally downward to near the bottom of the cistern from nearthe top opening of the cistern, said discharge pipe having abranch pipeconnection to the waste pipe at its upper end portion, and a pluralityof extensible. receiving branch pipes tlClliltlIlg from its lower endportion, the main pipe and each receiving branch of a dischargepipebeing provided with an enlarged supwith an open air vent pipe,substantially as porting and receiving section together set forth. 10

adapted to support the main pipe and its In Witness whereof I havehereunto set my" receiving branches on and slightly above the hand this14th day of September, 1910. bottom of the cistern, the top end ofsaidLOUIS THIEM. main pipe being open and provided with a In presence ofdetachableclosure cap, and said branchcon- WM. J. FRrrsoHE, nection tothe waste pipe being provided M; S. SMrrH.

